Slots have earned a reputation as the most popular game to play in both brick-and-mortar and online casinos. Their main attraction lies in the fact that the rules are easy to master, so everyone can play and potentially scoop a massive prize.
Although slots are not as complicated as some other casino games such as poker, baccarat or blackjack, newcomers are still advised to familiarise themselves with the rules of play and the basic terms used when betting on the game. Starting your gaming session by blindly clicking buttons without knowing what the game is about is unwise, as you are likely to end up with a drained bankroll. When it comes to casino games, slots included, knowledge always puts players at an advantage.
If you are not familiar with how slots are played, we recommend that you read the following article to become better acquainted with the basic rules of play before placing your first real-money bets on online slots.
Online vs Land-based Slots – Where Is the Difference?
If you have played slots in a brick-and-mortar casino, you should not be apprehensive about switching to playing over the Internet. In essence, online slots function in a similar way to their land-based cousins, leaving no reason to worry that you might end up in a predicament while betting.
Even though with online slots all the action is handled virtually, gambling enthusiasts should be aware that whether they decide to play offline or over the Internet, the outcomes of the game rounds are dictated by random number generators.
Yet, when deciding whether to play slots in a land-based casino or online, one of the deciding factors should be the type of gambling experience you wish to enjoy. Therefore, it is best simply to ask yourself what you want your betting session to be like.
No matter which brick-and-mortar casino you choose to play at, slots are likely to dominate its floor. Interestingly, on most occasions, 50% or sometimes even more of the revenues of land-based casinos are generated precisely by slots, which is not so surprising considering how popular such games are among players.
It seems many gambling aficionados prefer betting on slots in land-based casinos because of the unparalleled atmosphere these premises offer, something web-based casinos cannot replicate. Additionally, betting on slots offline is more likely to appeal to casino enthusiasts who enjoy the social element of this form of gambling.
The way in which slots look and feel when played over the Internet is completely different. It goes without saying that one of the keys to the success of such games remains the unmatched convenience players enjoy when betting on slots through their portable or desktop devices.
This is an advantage that is tough to beat simply because gambling aficionados have the chance to enjoy a few games on their favourite slot whenever they are in the mood.
Another reason why many casino enthusiasts find betting on slots over the Internet a much more appealing option is that the variety of games is much wider. This is not so with land-based casinos as, sometimes, players might have a hard time finding a gambling venue where their preferred slot is available. Considering how prolific online casinos are, players are unlikely to struggle to find a gaming site where their favourite title is offered.
While playing online, you will notice that slots are available in spades, which undoubtedly works to the advantage of avid lovers of such games. Switching to betting on slots over the Internet also makes sense if players are looking to get more bang for their buck, as virtual casinos tend to treat their customers to much more lucrative special deals.
Basic Rules of Playing Online Slots
To play real-money slots, new players are recommended to choose a reputable and licensed online casino operator that is well known for its transparency and fairness to players. Once you have found such an online casino and have completed your registration successfully, you need to fund your new account by selecting one of the numerous reliable and convenient methods of payment.
It is true to say that choosing an online casino to play at is of great importance, and so is picking the slot you will bet on. Gambling enthusiasts should make sure they do not opt for a slot on the spur of the moment and instead take into consideration the nuts and bolts of the game that has commanded their attention.
Number of Paylines
One of the most important things casino enthusiasts need to remember about slots is that the pay-offs such games hand out are built around the win lines with which they are equipped. For that reason, one of the first things they need to keep an eye on is the number of win lines.
Presently, most online slots contain multiple paylines. The number of available paylines is extremely important since it corresponds to the number of winning combinations in the game. Old-school slots feature only a single payline, positioned across the middle of the reels. Interestingly, when video slots started to gain momentum back in the 1990s, such games featured a total of five paylines. Their configuration was specific in that three of the win lines were positioned horizontally, while the remaining two formed a chevron and a V-shape.
Advanced video slots, however, can have a hundred or more paylines, which run vertically, horizontally, diagonally, or even take on zigzag or V-shaped patterns. Yet, the bulk of present-day slots boast 20, 25, 30, or 40 win lines; games with a greater number of paylines are not a rarity either.
Quite likely, at this point, you might be wondering what the presence of multiple paylines means. First of all, if the slot you have chosen has a greater number of paylines, this might open the door to scoring several wins during the same round. Additionally, gambling enthusiasts will enjoy a much greater range of betting opportunities.
Multiple win lines also give the creators of slots far greater freedom when it comes to the volatility and hit frequency of the games they design. If you are a total novice at betting on slots, you need to know that the pay-offs you might potentially walk away with will be determined by the number of coins you decide to stake per line and, of course, by the combination of identical symbols that appears.
Slots Without Paylines
Interestingly, slot lovers might also come across games with no win lines, or at least no traditional ones.
In spite of the absence of win lines, gambling enthusiasts still need to align identical symbols from the leftmost to the rightmost reel to bag a payout. As you might already know, scatter icons are among the most common special symbols featured in most present-day slots. As is often the case with such special icons, they award a pay-off, provided at least three of them appear together across the reels.
This approach has also been applied to slots, resulting in the creation of games that do not utilise win lines. What is specific about such games is that the wagers players place buy them reels rather than paylines. While betting on such games, players will collect a payout provided identical symbols line up from the leftmost to the rightmost reel and only on adjacent reels.
In essence, such games are also popular with casino enthusiasts as slots that provide 243 ways to win.
Placing Bets
Prior to placing their first real-money bets, slot novices should also check their preferred game’s paytable. There they will find all the information they need regarding the payout amounts for each winning combination of symbols and the set of icons that activate special features like free spins or other game-specific bonus rounds. Furthermore, the paytable will provide information about the slot’s special symbols, the reels on which they can show up, and their respective roles.
If you want to find out what the RTP of the slot you have chosen is, once again, you will need to inspect its paytable. Inspecting the paytable and checking the number of paylines enables players to work out what payouts they should expect, depending on the number of paylines they have activated and the chosen coin value.
The next step is to select your coin value. Coin denominations in slots are typically lower than in other casino games, ranging between £0.01 and £2.00. The available coin denominations should be examined first because the coins indicate the amount you will stake per active win line. Paying attention to the available coin denominations is vital, as this will help you figure out what amount will be deducted from your bankroll per game round.
Players should remember that if the coin denomination they have opted for is £0.01, this does not mean that this will be the amount of their stake. What they should bear in mind, however, is that if the slot has 100 win lines, for example, and they are all activated, the amount they will eventually stake will be £1.
When it comes to progressive slots, it is generally recommended to select the maximum bet amount because this will make you eligible for the progressive jackpot. Yet, this might not always be the case with all slots that come with constantly increasing prizes, so gambling enthusiasts are advised to check this before they start betting.
Then, players are required to select the number of lines they wish to activate and click on the Spin button to set the reels in motion. Players can either wait for the reels to stop spinning on their own or click the button again to halt them manually. When the reels stop, you will be paid out depending on the symbols that have lined up on the active paylines.
Many video slots have a number of useful features that enhance players’ gaming experience. For example, if you activate the Quick Spin feature, you will be able to play the game at a much faster pace. The Autoplay feature, on the other hand, allows the online slot to automatically play through a predetermined number of spins. Usually, players can adjust the settings so that Autoplay is deactivated whenever they win or lose a specific amount of money.
Choosing the Best Online Slots
Players who are new to spinning the reels online should remember that great animations and visual appeal are not the only criteria to look for when choosing an online slot. There are several other important things to consider before you place a bet.
When choosing a slot game, players are always recommended to check its expected Return to Player percentage. As was mentioned above, the RTP is often included in the paytable for the respective slot. Some online casinos, however, publish extensive lists with the RTPs of all games available on their websites. The payout percentage matters because it indicates how much the casino operator pays out in the form of winnings.
For example, if the RTP of a given slot is 98%, this means that the game will potentially pay out £98 for every £100 players have wagered. The remaining £2 are collected by the casino and represent the house edge for the game. Obviously, it would be better to opt for a slot with 98% RTP than one with a payout of 96%. This, however, does not mean that players can always expect a 98% return on their wagers. The payout percentage is spread over long periods of time and thousands of players.
The number of paylines also plays a crucial role. It goes without saying that players should look for slots that have a greater number of paylines, as this means there are more winning combinations, which increases one’s chances of collecting a prize.
The slot’s features also need to be taken into account. It would be best if you choose slots that boast lucrative features such as bonus spins, multipliers, scatter and wild symbols, as those can render your gaming experience more rewarding.
Choosing a slot that has a progressive jackpot attached to it is always a good idea. With such games, the jackpot grows incrementally because a small percentage of each wager goes towards the pot. Often, progressive jackpots can reach millions of pounds, which makes them well worth your time.
However, it is worth mentioning that progressive slots normally have a lower payout percentage, so players should avoid betting on them all the time. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to keep an eye on progressive slots and join in whenever the jackpot has escalated to a hefty figure.
Depending on their preferences and style of play, gambling enthusiasts might put great emphasis on the theme of the slot they are about to start betting on. When this criterion is concerned, slot mavens will be spoiled for choice, as there are games built around movies, fairytales, mythology, sports, aliens and fruits, to name just a few.
Gambling enthusiasts who would like to switch to playing slots on the go should make sure that the chosen game works without a glitch across tablets and smartphones. Fortunately, gambling enthusiasts who enjoy betting on the move are unlikely to end up disappointed, as most of the time these games impress with their graphics, bonus features and speed. If mobile gambling is your scene, you should also consider the way in which the preferred game looks and feels on portable devices.
How the House Gains Its Advantage over Players in Slots
One of the most important things gambling enthusiasts need to bear in mind not only when betting on slots, but while playing any other casino game, is that the house makes its profit simply by not providing payouts for winning stakes at true odds.
This can be illustrated by taking roulette as an example, and more specifically the American-style games in which the true odds against each of the numbers to appear are 37 to 1. Yet, when wagers made on a single number are resolved as winning ones, gambling aficionados will be paid out at the rate of 35 to 1, which differs from the above-mentioned rates.
Although the possible outcomes of each spin of the reels are far more plentiful when compared to roulette, the way in which slot odds function is pretty much the same. As you might already know, when slots are concerned, the possible combinations can sometimes exceed several thousand. When the pay-offs each winning combination delivers are added to the mix, this helps establish the odds of the specific game.
It goes without saying that determining the odds of slots is much more complicated in comparison with the odds of table games, for the simple reason that with slots, the possibilities are far more numerous.
Rules and Basics
Slot Types
Choosing Online Slots
Line Number and Multiplier
Classic Online Slots
When it comes to the early-day slots that had only three reels and a total of 10 icons that could show up on each reel, the possible combinations were 1,000 in total. The quantity of possible combinations is boosted further in games where each reel features 20 icons.
Things changed even more when technological advancements enabled software developers to dictate how many stops each reel would have.
As far as the slots we know today are concerned, things are further compounded by the presence of random number generators that increase the number of possibilities even more. Not to mention the fact that, for the most part, modern-day slots boast a much greater number of icons. Needless to say, the multitude of win lines also complicates the maths that relate to the odds of the game.
Casino enthusiasts should be mindful of the fact that slots with progressive jackpots are much more volatile and return less compared with slots that offer more moderate wins.
When selecting among the available slot games, gambling aficionados should also bear in mind that games equipped with pick’em bonuses are far more volatile than slots that award free spins.
Volatility is something that should dictate players’ choice of slots, depending on the objectives they have set. Thus, if you are after more substantial wins and you do not mind experiencing bigger losses, then high-volatility slots might be your scene.
If the idea of spending more time spinning the reels with smaller, more frequent wins appeals to you, low-volatility slots are likely to work best for you. What should be noted about such slots is that although it is not impossible to get a windfall, hitting such prizes will be a rarity.
Tips for Playing Online Slots
Before they get down to making real-money wagers on any casino game, slots included, players need to determine the size of their bankroll for the betting session. Proper bankroll management is essential as it prevents players from recklessly wasting their funds. As a general rule, you need to set aside a sum you are comfortable with losing. It would be a wise idea to open a separate bank account for gambling purposes only. This way, you will not be tempted to spend money that should be used for utility bills, food, rent and so on. It is also recommended to play slots that fit within your gambling budget. For example, if you have set aside a bankroll of £50, it would not be wise to play £10 per spin.
Slots may be simple to master, but it is still advisable to check the rules before you start playing. With some slots, there are additional rules you need to be familiar with. Usually, players can choose the amount they wish to put at stake by selecting a specific coin value and adjusting the number of coins they want to wager per spin. As far as jackpot slots go, if you want to become eligible for the progressive jackpot, you are often required to play the maximum number of coins per spin. In some instances, players are even required to play with a higher coin value.
Choosing a slot with more paylines is a good idea because it boosts your chances of turning a profit. More paylines translate into better chances of hitting a winning combination. Most of the time, players can also choose how many lines to activate. More active paylines might cost you more coins per spin, but it is definitely worth it.
Also, when you are playing slots online, you can boost your bankroll and extend your gaming session by claiming bonuses or participating in ongoing promotional offers. Many reputable online casinos reward their loyal players with free spins on selected slots or give them reload bonuses each time they deposit funds into their accounts.
Another way to boost the size of your bankroll is by collecting comp points each time you make a real-money wager. The points can be exchanged for cash or free credits to play with. But before you claim a bonus, make sure you have read the casino’s terms and conditions page. Typically, players are expected to cover specific wagering requirements before the winnings they have accumulated with their bonuses become withdrawable.
With this in mind, slot mavens are advised to be constantly on the alert for rewarding promotional deals.
It is essential to remember that when it comes to slots, the results of the spins are always random. The outcome of each spin is not connected to the spins that precede or follow it. While betting on slots, it all comes down to luck, and there is no way for players to predict with certainty whether they will win or lose.
There are slot systems that are described as a fool-proof means of winning for players who follow them. The trouble is that such claims are simply misleading. The outcome of each slot spin is governed by a Random Number Generator, which ensures that the spins are completely unbiased. Since there is no discernible pattern, following a given system will not help you win or increase the likelihood of hitting a winning combination.
Most of all, players need to remember that the casino always has a built-in advantage over them and there is no way to beat it. The most important thing is to enjoy yourself when you spin the reels without having unrealistic expectations regarding your profits.